Drinking Alone
by asliceoftoast
Summary: After a rough day, April heads to the bar with her sights set on drinking away the pain. Clearly, God had different plans, but it's not like she's complaining.


April slipped into the crowded bar, maneuvered her way through the filled tables, and took a seat on a barstool. She dropped her bag as she took a seat, and for once, she could care less about how dirty the floor was.

"A shot of tequila," she called out. The bartender nodded at her in confirmation before filling up her glass. Once he slid the drink towards her, she eagerly grabbed it, threw it back, and signaled for another one. Her face screwed as the clear liquid burned her throat, and the bartender looked at her in concern. "What?" she snarled, tempting him to answer. A man sullenly tending to his own glass of liquor across the room looked up with interest at the redhead ordering the barhop around. April turned to face him when she felt his stare, but his azure gaze did not waver and instead, intensified. She turned back to the brawny man tending the bar who quickly filled her order before dashing off to tend to other patrons. April swished the clear shot glass around, watching the alcohol swirl before it slowed to a stop. The redhead raised the drink to her lips, swallowed it all, then slammed the glass to the table.

"Is this seat taken?" a smooth voice asked her from behind. April turned her head to find a handsome man in a grey sweater: the guy whose attention she captivated. Her hazel eyes danced around his figure, scanning him head-to-toe while she debated whether or not to allow him to take the stool. His chiseled jawline was drool-worthy combined with the defined muscles peeking out of the low cut of his shirt. To top it off, the subtle rasp to his voice sent shivers down her spine.

Normally, April would have shied away from any interaction with a guy like him, but the drink she had just consumed was swimming in her head, preventing her from finding any reason to stop him from taking the empty seat. She shook her head lightly, so he slipped onto the round barstool and leaned against the countertop. "Rough day?" he questioned.

"You have no idea," she exhaled, looking at him through her peripheral. Her boyfriend had decided to break up with her, claiming she never made enough time for him - that her job was her sole focus. His excuses were weak, and the problem he blamed for their breakup was something that could have easily been fixed, but his lousy ass was just looking for a way out. April saw it coming from a mile away, and she knew full well that she was better off without him, though that didn't stop her from feeling the pain in her chest. "Why are you here?"

"Misery loves company," he answered simply.

"What did she do to you?" she scoffed, amused that the stranger looked nearly as tangled in his woes as she was in hers.

"I caught her in bed with the guy she told me not to worry about." April looked over at the man, her eyes searching his for a reason why anyone would cheat on the epitome of perfection.

"Jesus," April breathed, "that sucks."

"Tell me about it," he sighed. "You?"

"Boyfriend dumped me." April rolled her eyes and signaled for another refill.

"Why did he decide to give you up? No offense to him, but you're probably way out of his league." A crimson blush blossomed on her pale skin. She wasn't used to gorgeous men complimenting her, if anything, she was used to people focusing on her flaws.

"Married to the job," she announced laconically.

"What do you do?"

"Surgical intern," she replied, licking a stray drop of tequila from her lips. His gaze dropped down to where her tongue had been.

"Really," the man mumbled in disbelief. "He let go of a beautiful, kickass surgeon because she's driven. He's crazy."

"Don't I know it," she sighed.

"Sounds like you're better off without the deadbeat."

"Sounds like you're better off without the cheating girlfriend," she returned causing him to scoff.

"Fuck 'em," he announced, raising his glass for a toast.

"Fuck 'em," April mirrored. Now, she wasn't one for cursing, but the booze had loosened her tongue, and at the moment, she couldn't have cared less about being prim and proper.

The duo sat together, drowning their pain away with alcohol and somewhere along the line, they exchanged names. After being defeated for the third time at darts, Jackson collapsed back into his seat while April tottered back to the bar.

"I know something to make us feel better," he said, lifting his glass filled with auburn liquid to his lips and took a sip. April's interest piqued, as she tilted her body towards Jackson's.

"What?" The moment the word left her mouth, his lips descended on hers, nothing about it was soft and gentle like all her previous experiences. Remnants of the tequila she drank mixed with his whiskey, swirling in her mouth as his tongue swiped across her lower lip before entering. For a second, she had forgotten her problems and focused solely on the charming man who was getting handsy with her.

"So," he exhaled, pulling away slightly to breathe, "my place?" Their faces were only a few inches apart, breathes intermingling.

"No," April said boldly, slipping her hand into his after tossing a couple of bills onto the bar. "Mine."

**A/N**

**Named after and loosely based off Carrie Underwood's song. Hope you enjoy.**


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